The French Ligue 1 is here, and this weekend we will be witnessing the start of another long-haul of France football with teams trying to stop the reign of Paris Saint Germain.
The teams are ready to gather as many three points as possible, and we expect them to take the time to build a formidable playing pattern.
One of the games we are looking at in the opening weekend is the Clermont Foot and Paris Saint Germain tie.
Clermont Foot Against Paris Saint Germain Tie
It is the opening match for the defending champions to kickstart their season after a series of friendlies. It would allow the new coach to understand his players in a competitive setting.
We don’t expect a tight game because of the gulf in both teams playing abilities. However, we think since it is the first game, it shouldn’t be too one-sided.
As we anticipate the kickoff for the 2022/2023 French Ligue 1 season, let’s look at the game and give you our Clermont Foot vs. Paris Saint-Germain best bets.
Clermont Foot vs. Paris Saint-Germain Information
On Friday, the 5th of August, the French Ligue 1 will officially kick off with an interesting game. And on the sixth, we would witness the defending champions take a trip to the Stade Gabriel Montpied, Clermont-Ferrand, as they get ready to face one of the league’s underdogs to continue the opening weekend.
The game is tagged for 03:00 PM ET. You should ready your devices to watch as the league starts and see some of your favorite superstars go at it to kickstart their season.
It would be a push that would see how they would perform and if they would get plenty of goals this season.
Clermont Foot Against Paris Saint Germain: Last Encounter
Last season, Clermont Foot played PSG in the Ligue 1 over two legs, but the champions pummeled them on both occasions. In the two legs, the team got only one goal, resulting in a seven-goal thrashing at their home ground. They were outclassed and outplayed in the first leg as they lost 4-0 to PSG.
In the second leg, they had more hope, but it was thwarted in the second half. The half ended in 2-1 with goals from:
- Jodel Dossou
- Kylian Mbappe
- Neymar
It was a closely contested tie until when PSG won a penalty, and it was slotted in by Neymar in the 71st minute. Three minutes later, they got another goal to make it 4-1.
It didn’t end there as the team got another goal through Kylian Mbappe to make it 5-1, and a Neymar Jr.’s hattrick sealed the game.
That night, Mbappe and Neymar got hattricks, and Lionel Messi got a hattrick of assists, showing the ultimate strength of the front trio and what damage they can inflict at full strength.
Clermont Foot vs. Paris Saint-Germain Analysis
Both teams are not in any way close in terms of squad depth, abilities, talents, and other factors. The gulf between the teams is huge and shows whenever they meet.
PSG is home to many star players that are world beaters, with many teams courting them and looking to add them to their squad.
Especially with the front three of Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar, PSG is one of the best-attacking teams in the world.
Clermont Foot Unpopularity
They are almost always the favorites to win a tie. On the other hand, Clermont Foot is a team with players that are not too popular, but they want to compete at the highest level and against the biggest names.
Therefore, we can’t write the home team off because of the incredible talents that PSG promises. Even though the records show an easy path for the champions, we don’t think it would be easy for the team to go through Clermont Foot in the opening match. They would have to be careful not to make defensive mistakes that could cost them the game.
Ligue 1 Schedule
As the first game of their Ligue 1 schedule, both teams would want to get a win, and Clermont Foot beating PSG on an opening day is sure a massive booster for the team. So, we don’t expect them to bend over for the champions.
Ligue 1 Odds Breakdown
Based on last season’s Ligue 1 standings, we are not shocked that PSG is the favorite to win this tie. The odds give no room for doubt.
It is easy to see that PSG has the highest chance of winning. The team has -400 odds compared to Clermont Foot’s +900.
A bet on Clermont Foot would promise a massive return, but it is a gamble to bet on them because PSG has won 82% of the matches whenever they have -400 odds, and their expected chance to win is 80%.
Clermont Foot Analysis
Clermont Foot was one of the worst teams in the league last season, as they barely made it out of the relegation zone.
They were fortunate enough that Saint-Etienne didn’t win their game against Nantes as they lost against Olympique Lyonnais in the season’s final game.
With their new opportunity to go at it again in the Ligue 1, we expect the team to try to push for more this season.
Clermont Foot Preseason Run
However, following their preseason run, they haven’t been convincing. With two wins in four games, it is tough to tell if they are ready for the season, especially with them having to play PSG in the opening match.
They would have to be careful this season as four teams will be relegated from the league with no chance at a relegation playoff.
The team has to start pushing as early as possible unless they would find themselves in a rut at the end of the season.
Paris Saint-Germain Analysis
PSG’s goal will be to repeat last season’s success by winning the league title. They would also want to take it further by winning the UCL, which can cause the team to be distracted.
However, given their incredible team and massive squad, they can take on challenges on every front. So, we expect them to go into this game to get all three points.
PSG Run
They were ruthless throughout their preseason run. In addition to an excellent run, they won the Trophee des Champions against Nantes in a thumping 4-0 win. The team has everything it takes to go into this game and oversee a comfortable win.
Clermont Foot vs. Paris Saint-Germain Betting Pick and Prediction
Both teams are in no way close, and no amount of analysis would put the odds in favor of Clermont Foot. PSG is the undeniable favorite to win the game, and except for a miracle and upset, we don’t see anything short of a comfortable win for the defending champions. Therefore, our Ligue 1 predictions for this game are listed below.
Soccer Pick: PSG to win (-425)
Soccer Pick: Over 3.5 (-120)
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